It is used to verify your identity, communicate with you, and pinpoint your location. It's no wonder that phone numbers are targeted by thieves! Changing your phone number is one of the optimum ways to protect yourself from repeated identity theft.
They may use identity theft to go after your friends and family members too. Scammers use your number to trick your loved ones into disclosing their personal information or sending money. Once they take over your number, they send messages to people on your contact list. They may claim to need emergency financial help.
Scammers are persistent. If they know your name, address, and phone number, they can use this as a launching point to find out more about you online and on public databases. For example, they could research your social media profiles or see if you're included in popular data broker lists.
With your phone number, online scammers can pose with your identity and use this opportunity to solicit close friends and family members for funds and other favours. Scammers who have no control of your phone number can still make it a target for robocalls and phishing texts.
Can someone hack my bank account with just my phone number? It's unlikely, but possible. If a cybercriminal has your phone number, they might attempt to gather more information about you to gain access to your bank account.
Scammers can find your full name and address using your phone number on sites like WhoEasy and Whitepages. Using this information, they can build a full picture of you and try to steal your identity.
If you spot a scam or have been scammed, report it and get help. Don't be embarrassed about reporting a scam. Because the scammers are cunning and clever there's no shame in being deceived. By reporting it, you'll make it more difficult for them to deceive others.
Notify the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that you have been phished. The FTC is the nation's consumer protection agency. The FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection works for the consumer to prevent fraud, deception and unfair business practices in the marketplace.
Hopefully this has helped to reassure you that it is not possible for someone to hack your phone with just your number. However, phone hacking is a real threat and there are many other ways for hackers to gain access.
Your phone number is an easy access point for scammers and identity thieves. Once scammers know your number, they can target you with phishing texts and calls, or trick you into downloading malware and giving up personal information.
Can someone steal your information through a text? No—unless you hit a link included in the text. To avoid getting hacked, do not hit any link that comes with a text or email—unless you are absolutely sure of the sender's identity.
Stop all contact with the scammer
Once you realise you are being scammed, do not continue the conversation. Hang up the phone. Don't reply to emails or letters scammers have sent you. If you have been scammed online, block the scammer from contacting you.
Once someone has your details, they could gain access to any number of personal accounts. From here, they could get into your bank account, trawl through more personal information to learn more about you, or even assume your identity to defraud others.
PhishLabs warns that replying to a phishing email, even if you know it's a scam, can lead to further attacks. Most phishing campaigns are automated and replying to them puts you on a scammer's radar. PhishLabs stresses that these people are criminals, and that they can be vindictive or even dangerous.
It's also possible hackers could use your email account to gain access to your bank account or credit card information, draining funds from an account, or racking up charges. They might even use your email and password to sign up for online sites and services, sticking you with monthly fees in the process.
Signs of identity theft
Unusual bills or charges that you don't recognise appear on your bank statement. Mail that you're expecting doesn't arrive. You get calls or texts about products and services you've never used.
Another way stalkers can track you is to steal information from your smartphone. This requires they have more technical experience to gain access to your smartphone or install tracking software or malware. They can then use those to download your address book, log on to malicious websites or even track your location.
The easiest way to become a victim of a bank scam is to share your banking info — e.g., account numbers, PIN codes, social security number — with someone you don't know well and trust. If someone asks for sensitive banking details, proceed with caution.
Phone hacking, even remotely, only works if the device being targeted is on. That doesn't mean you're personally safe from hackers while your devices are off. Criminals could spoof your number, making calls from their own devices and pretending to be you to try and extract information or money from other targets.
If you are receiving phantom calls frequently, then you need to go to the authorities. It is probably a hacker trying to get access to your mobile. In a word, it is barely impossible for someone to hack into your phone by calling you. Even if they manage to do it, they won't get any important data.
Yes, unfortunately, people can access and even control your phone remotely. There are plenty of spyware apps and bugs that let people hack into your phone without you even knowing about it. It's usually through certain links or credentials that hackers do this.
What can a scammer do with your email? Stolen credentials allow a scammer to send malicious messages or malware links to your contacts, extract personal or financial information from your saved messages, or get your friends and family to send money to them under false pretenses.
You may find a person's address by using a phone number, thanks to a service called a “reverse phone lookup.” Use a reverse phone lookups service like Intelius, TruthFinder, or Instant Checkmate to find the right person. Contact the person's network to see if they can provide any information about their whereabouts.